The Dog
by Delphinbella
Summary: Dib tells the skool councelors the story about the dog, and why his mother left. Written for Lael Adair.
1. Chapter 1

Written for Lael Adair. She wanted to know more about the dog Dib and Gaz mention in one of the episodes. So, here's my take on it.

The Dog

"It's actually not all that strange when you consider it." The voice drifted softly across the hum of the fluorescent lights marching across the ceiling. "His mother died when he was young and he's been trying to come to terms with it through all of this paranormal ghost business."

Dib's head shot up from his notebook and he frowned as he turned towards the two skool counselors. "My mother's not dead."

Both women stopped talking and looked at him. The younger had a look of "oh crap, I just got caught gossiping", which she had, and the older had a sympathetic "I told you so" face.

"No, seriously," Dib went on, "My mother lives in Oklahoma."

Neither woman looked like they believed him. "Look, the rumor about my mom was just that - a rumor. Someone overheard my father tell someone else that my mother was 'as good as dead' and took it to mean that she was sick with an incurable disease. It made him look less like an asshole that way and gave my mom an out from the endless tabloid questions about their marriage problems. They both played along when the news hit and my mother moved."

Dib shrugged. He probably shouldn't have said anything, but these were counselors - they weren't supposed to repeat anything. Not that it had stopped them a few minutes ago.

"Your mother isn't dead?"

Dib immediately regretted his decision and shook his head solemnly.

"Why don't you ever see her?" asked the younger counselor. "You're never absent from skool."

"We visit sometimes in the summers, but it gets a little suspicious when dad packs us up and sends us out to the middle of nowhere for a month."

The women nodded in understanding. "Do you ever talk to her?"

"Oh yeah, all the time," Dib said with a smile that he couldn't hide. "She calls every Thursday. She would have loved to take us with her but that would have been hard to explain. Instead she took the dog. The dog is what started it anyways."

"The... uh... dog?"

"Yeah..."


	2. Chapter 2

"Gazzy! Dibby!" The woman getting out of the car had purple hair, grown long and straight with bangs that sat just shy of her brown eyes. "I've got a surprise for you!"

Shutting the door, she made her way to the other side and opened it a crack, bending down and reaching inside for something before she opened it further. As Gaz and Dib ran out the front door and past the odd blue fence that lined their yard they heard a tiny yip, and found a furry bundle of wriggling tail and floppy ears in their mother's arms as she stood up.

"A dog!" Gaz squealed in uncharacteristic excitement. Dib began petting it as it licked his face, his hand, and anything else it could reach its long tongue out to. Their mother bent over and set the dog down, careful to keep the leash in her hand as it jumped around, wagging its entire behind and peeing in joy.

As the children dotted on the tiny mutt with pets and exclamations of happiness, Professor Membrane stepped out onto the front step and crossed his arms. Had his face been visible they would have seen him scowling, but as it was the goggles and lab coat hid all expression from wife and children.

"A dog, hmmm?" He quirked an unseen eyebrow as he looked at it. "Perfect. I needed a new test subject." He said it under his breath and as his wife turned and smiled he raise a hand to wave and nodded back at her, seemingly content with the new arrangement.

"What are you going to name it, kids?" Their mother smiled down at them both as the dog lay in its brand new doggy-bed after a hard day's work of eating a pair of their father's goggles and pooping on the stairs leading down into his laboratory.

"We should name it Gameslave," Gaz spoke up. Now that the dog had proven less fun than her video games she had gone back to Zombie Pigs.

"We should name it Bigfoot," Dib said, eyes gleaming in excitement.

Gaz looked over blandly, "its not going to get any bigger, stupid."

"Yes it will; it's just a puppy!" Dib threw back.

"It's a terrier, Dib!"

"How would you know, Gaz? You can't recognize anything that's not pixilated!"

"Ooook," their mother separated the glaring duo and sat them down on either sides of the room. "How about we name it something neutral. Like Bob."

"Bob's a stupid name," Gaz said automatically.

Dib was silent for a moment, not wanting to sound as mean as Gaz had come across. "It really is kinda dumb, mom. Sorry."

She smiled, "alright, not Bob. How about..." her purple eyebrows pressed together as she thought, "Bit?"

"Bit?" the two kids said together.

"Yeah, because its so small. Its bitty." Their mother was smiling in a dreamy, not-present way and Dib and Gaz shot each other a look.

"Um, sure," Dib said slowly, "Bit. That's ok, I guess."

"Whatever," Gaz said and went back to her game, "I'm just going to call it Mutt anyways."


End file.
